There was a time when folks ran to Gothic.
Back in the summer of ’79 – 1879, that is – miners flocked to this remote town 8 1/2 miles north of Crested Butte. The rush for silver, for all intents and purposes, was over just two years later.
A veritable ghost town stood by 1890. And to this day, they’re still running from Gothic.
The 38th annual Gothic-Crested Butte 1/3 Marathon gets under way at over 9,000-feet elevation Tuesday morning. This Independence Day tradition takes approximately 500 runners on an 8.56-mile route that starts uphill from Gothic through meadows freckled with wildflowers, for which Crested Butte throws a festival each year (this year’s Crested Butte Wildflower festival is July 10-16). The course then turns downhill through Mt. Crested Butte and past the ski resort, finishing at Elk Avenue, the town of Crested Butte’s main drag (elevation 8,885 feet).
Proceeds from the event benefit the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, which is a non-profit organization stationed in Gothic. The RMBL transformed the former mining town into its headquarters in the late 1920s, creating “the nation’s premier high-altitude biological field station,” according to the RMBL website.
“We actually refer to (the race) as the ‘Gothic to Crested Butte Run, Walk or Crawl 1/3 Marathon,'” said RMBL office assistant Sarah Boynton. “You don’t have to be an extreme runner. You can walk – or crawl – and by the end, you’re talking and laughing and finishing with a big group.”
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GOTHIC TO CRESTED BUTTE 1/3 MARATHON
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The deadline for pre-registration has passed. Late registration is Monday at the Crested Butte Visitors Center. Race-day registration is from 6 a.m.-7 a.m. – with a cap at 500 runners.
Four hundred seventy-one runners participated last year, but the 500 number has not yet been reached.
“But we’re getting up there,” said Boynton yesterday afternoon.
Shuttle buses from Crested Butte are scheduled to transport all participants Tuesday from 6:30 a.m.-7:25 a.m., according to Boynton, for the 8 a.m. start in Gothic. Why so early on a holiday?
“There’s a parade in Crested Butte on Elk Avenue that starts at 11 a.m. this year,” said Boynton. “We wanted runners to be able to make it.”
A small-town parade might not be silver metal. Or a silver medal. But it’s worth making a run for it.
Independence Day runs in Colorado
* Liberty Run; 4-mile run, 1-mile walk and kids fun run; by the American Civil Liberties Union, at Washington Park in Denver; 7 a.m. 303-777-5482, ext. 109
* Superior Downhill Mile; 1-mile running/walking race; $5 to $15; at Rock Creek Parkway, in Superior; 7 a.m. 303-554-9518
* North Colorado Race for the Cure; 5K run/walk and 1-mile walk; $20-$25; in Greeley; 7:15 a.m. komennco.org
* 25th Palmer Lake Fourth of July Run; at Santa Fe Trailhead, in Palmer Lake; easy and fast 4-mile run; begins at Palmer Lake Regional Park and ends in Monument; 7:30 a.m. ples.lewispalmer.org
* FireKracker 5K; and a kids fun run; flat, fast course through City Park onto city streets; at City Park, in Fort Collins; $20 to $25; 7:30 a.m. footoftherockies.com
* Scar Top Mountain Run 12K and Spruce Canyon 5K; challenging 12K route over mostly dirt roads with 1,000 feet of climbing; at Coal Creek Canyon, in Golden; CanyonFest to follow the runs; $20 to $25; 8 a.m. racingunderground.com
* Freedom Run 5K; at Evergreen Middle School, in Evergreen; $12 to $24; 8 a.m. bkbltd.com
* Boogie’s Diner Buddy 5-mile and 1-mile family/canine walk; at Boogie’s Diner, in Aspen; $15 to $35; families $75; 8 a.m. buddyprogram.org
* CU at the Outback Fourth of July 5K; at CU Research Park, 30th Avenue and Colorado Avenue, in Boulder; $10 to $15; 8 a.m. boulderroadrunners.org
* Georgetown Fourth of July 5K Fun Run; at Strauss Park, in Georgetown; $5 to $10; 8 a.m. georgetownschool.org
* Lone Tree Firecracker 5K Run; and kids fun run; in Lone Tree; $20 to $25; 9 a.m. cityoflonetree.com
(For more outdoor-recreation listings, visit this week’s .)
An online exclusive that runs each Friday, examines the memorable, less visible and lighthearted aspects of Colorado’s sports landscape. DenverPost.com sports producer Bryan Boyle can be reached at bboyle@denverpost.com.
From the columns
“July is just over the dashboard and the Rockies have the fourth-best ERA in the National League. See, there you go already. You’re thinking it’s all about the humidor. It isn’t, but that’s what you’re thinking.”
From the mailbags
“I understand the games are dramatically different, not unlike your favorite rock band going acoustic. The scores have dropped from 7-6 to 5-4. Home runs are way down. But an odd thing has happened as the park has transformed into Coors Light Field.”
From the message boards
“What does the Nuggets have to do, to enter the second round? They have a good team if you look at the roster but some players just do not fit into this team. ” — Carmelo
From the online exclusives
The 2006 World Cup quarterfinals begin today. This online exclusive covers the soccer extravaganza with a calendar, rosters, venue information, a quiz and much more.
A look back
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| AP / Nathan Bilow |
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In this photo shot Sept. 23, 2005, professional painter Taffy Mulliken of Colorado Springs sits on the side of Gothic Road between Crested Butte and Gothic painting a portrait of South Belleview Mountain and the colorful autumn aspens. |
